What One Sees
by WindKitsuneofDarkness
Summary: Suisaka Kazaki has served in the Tachibana army for years, first at Lord Dosetsu's side, then at his daughter's. A story of what this old soldier saw in the last years of Lady Ginchiyo's life. Mitsunari/Ginchiyo.
1. Chapter 1

It was late September 1600, and forces were mustering across the country of Japan. In a small fief of Kyushu, orders for the different units had just been given out to the several thousand soldiers under the Tachibana clan.

"Bad luck, Kazaki-san! The greatest battle in all history, and you've been ordered to sit it out and guard our Lady. You must be disappointed." A young voice, sprightly and cheerful, called to him. He sounded like he was filled with high hopes and romanticised dreams, like he had never seen the ugly side of war.

He hadn't.

The veteran soldier grunted in response. "The glory of war's all for you young people. We old men have seen enough of it." There was no point in telling the young recruit about the horrors he would face when he stared death in the eye – the kid would see it for himself when his time came. And if he survived the battle, he would come back to the castle, and pray fervently that he never had to do it again. He knew, because that was what had happened to him. "It's enough for me to guard the castle and the Lady."

Suisaka Kazaki had had enough of war. He wasn't willing to go out and bend his knee to someone he didn't consider his true master, in any case. The grizzled soldier scratched the stubble on his cheek thoughtfully. He would miss out on the chance to serve under _that man_'s banner for possibly the last time, but it was fine. If his mistress could live with that thought, so could he.

The last of the Tachibana troops filed out from the castle gates orderly. Kazaki watched them go without regret. He and his unit were remaining behind on orders to keep the castle safe until their Lord's return. And so the days passed.

It was about a week after the troops had left, that she spoke to him.

Kazaki took his place outside his Lady's doors as was his custom, one hand near the hilt of his sword, the other held straight at his side. He stood there, still as a statue, he could still remember when he had been young. And foolish, he mused bitterly. He had marched into battle, dreaming of dances of steel and songs of honour and glory. But all that had awaited him was chaos, blood, and death. He considered himself lucky to have managed to escape that battle alive – there were those who had not, his lord being one of them. It was afterward, that Lady Tachibana Ginchiyo had taken over the clan leadership, still but a girl yet with the passion and the commanding presence of one ten years her senior.

And up till now, he still served her and her family's ideals, except that the person he served was no longer his mistress herself, but her – recently acquired – husband. It had been a marriage arranged by the elders of the clan, in a bid to join the bloodline of the late Lord Dosetsu with that of his adopted heir.

"Suisaka."

The softly- spoken command cut through his reverie. "My lady?" He silently cursed his momentary distraction. Had something untoward happened, he would never have been able to live it down. Such a lack of discipline would have cost him his life if he had been on the battlefield.

"... The battle would be in full flow by now, wouldn't it?" Her voice was mildly wistful, though the emotion was well hidden. If Kazaki had not spent most of his life by her side, there was no way he could have told. But... the resignation in her voice was something altogether too recent for his liking. She had used to be a woman full of fire and passion, inspired by a deep love for her clan, and in turn winning the loyalties of those around her.

"Probably so, my lady." Tachibana Muneshige, on the other hand... had less drive than her. Less fire, less intensity; Muneshige did not have the same charisma his wife did.

"I... wonder." Ginchiyo responded vaguely, her gaze trained on the window, yet remaining unfocused.

The conversation ended there, but the veteran soldier didn't immediately return his eyes to the spot on the opposite wall he had been staring at. His lady had been a force to reckon with on the battlefield, until leadership of the clan had passed into Muneshige's hands – he remembered well how the man's first order had been to instate himself as the commander of the Tachibana forces. The announcement had not sat well amongst the veterans, but their protests had died in their throats almost immediately, when Lady Tachibana herself had simply nodded at them to stand down.

The silent command, coupled with the dispirited look in her eyes then, had broken Kazaki's heart.

"My lady, if I may ask something?"

"Of course. Speak, Suisaka."

"Where is the Lady of the Tachibana I had sworn to serve years ago?" Her gaze snapped from the scenery outside her windows to his face, momentarily startled. Suisaka forced herself to meet her stare head on, and for an instant he felt triumph rise in his breast at the anger that had stirred in those amber eyes.

_This _was the woman he had been talking about! _This _was the woman who had walked alongside men like Lords Sanada and Naoe as an equal, whose strength had been admired by Lord Shima. The woman who had utterly captured _his _attention.

But as quickly as it had arisen, the spark died, leaving only resignation in its place. Ginchiyo's smile was slow, tinged with sadness. "Things change, Suisaka. Things have changed."

The old soldier let out the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding, as he turned back to face the corridors outside his mistress' chambers. "Yes, my lady. I apologise for my impudence."


	2. Chapter 2

"Suisaka. It has been a long time."

The veteran spun, unable to help himself from raising a brow even as he automatically fell to one knee in deference to the owner of that voice. The words confused him.

"My lady... it has been but a fortnight since I was last assigned to your guard."

Genuine laughter fell from the lips of his mistress – a sound which had not been heard in the Tachibana castle for over a year now. "Remember when you asked me where the lady you were sworn to had gone?" Curiosity overtaking him, finally Kazaki dared to raise his head to meet his lady's gaze.

There, the volcanic fires of Kyushu once again burned brightly. "Lady Ginchiyo..." He breathed. Some part of him wondered what had rekindled them, when not even the news of the defeat of the Western army, and _his _death, had managed to do so almost two years ago.

"Come with me, Suisaka. You and the other men loyal to me. I am in need of an armed escort." She smiled confidently down at his still kneeling form.

Swept away on the tide of her renewed presence, it was only much later, when the eighteen of them were riding out of the castle, that Kazaki thought to ask. "Where to, my lady?"

She paused, as if searching for words. "Sekigahara. There I have something I must do." Her tone was quiet, but firm.

Kazaki watched his mistress carefully. There was only one man she could be referring to, and the _tessen_ that had been her constant companion since the messenger from Sekigahara was a dead giveaway. Even now it lay tucked into her belt at her side, along with her sword.

Still, the exact nature of their relationship, the politics that had driven them apart, the reason Lady Ginchiyo was now headed for the place of his death... Kazaki was but a common soldier, if one who saw more than most others did; he had no stomach for these things. Ultimately, only one thing mattered to him at that moment.

The Lord and Lady of the Tachibana had returned.

**Epilogue**

Two months after their return from Sekigahara, the Lady Ginchiyo passed away in her sleep. It was a peaceful death, they said, and she was buried beside her father, with her sword, the Raikiri, clutched to her chest.

They didn't have any health-related explanations, for the Lady of the Tachibana had been hale. Not to mention that the physician had cleared up any possibility foul play, though in any case, no one had even suspected that anyone would want to poison their beloved lady. It couldn't even have been psychological, for Lady Ginchiyo had been closer to her old wartime self in the last few months than at any point during the two years of her marriage.

In their hearts though, the soldiers who had accompanied her to Sekigahara for the last time, knew otherwise.

Perhaps it was because she finally knew at whose side she belonged.

A/N: I try to be as historically accurate as possible, so that my one shots on Mitsunari and Ginchiyo fit into historical continuum. This one was found languishing half-written in my laptop for years, and I've recently been inspired to finish it.


End file.
